Dispensing device



Sept. 10, 1935. BA|LEY 2,014,158

DISPENSING DEVICE.

Filed Dec. 28, 1934 r Tizeadare Bade Patented Sept. 10, 1935 UNITEDSTATES PAENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention is directed to a dispensing device arranged to cooperatewith a can or like body holding the material in bulk, the dispensingdevice being movable to a position to permit discharge of the contentsof the can into a receiver or to a position to cut off the receiver fromthe can.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of areceiver to be slidably and removably connected to a cut-off platerotatably mounted at one end of the can, with the receiver of anypredetermined bulk and provided with means whereby the material in thereceiver is divided into preselected divisions, any one or more of whichmay be dispensed.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of specificmeans for insuring accurate cooperation of the receiver with the cut-ofiplate to insure delivery of the material from the can into the receiverand to permit convenient removal of the receiver when desired with thecontained material for dispensing.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the can with the receiver in place. I

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the receiver.

Figure 3 is a section through the end wall of the can and thecooperating cut-off plate, showing the plate in cut-off relation to thecan wall opening.

Figure 4 is a similar View showing the cut-off plate in dispensingrelation with the opening in the can wall. 7

Figure 5 is a plan view of the cut-01f plate, showing particularly themeans for guiding and temporarily holding the receiver in place.

The present invention is illustrated in connection with a can i having aplain end wall 2, al-' though it is to be understood in this connectionthat the showing of a can is merely illustrative of a suitable casing orbody for holding material in bulk. The particular end wall 2 is formedwith an opening 3 and beyond the opening and concentric with the wall ofthe can there is formed a depressed channel 4.

A cut-off plate 5 is rotatably mounted through the medium of a centralpivot 6 fixed in the end wall 2, the relation being such that there isintimate substantially non-leaking contact between the adjacent surfacesof the cut-off plate and can wall. The edge of the cut-off plate'isdeflected at l 'to fit into the channel 4, thereby further preventingany material which might find its way between the end Wall of the canand the cut-01f plate from delivery beyond the edge of the cut-offplate.

The cut-off plate is formed with an opening 8 which, in therotativemovements of the plate, may be brought into registry with theopening 3 in the end wall 2 or moved out of registry therewith, and thecut-ofl plate is formed with an edge projection 9 designed to cooperatewith stops iii and Ii on the can body to limit the positions of thecut-ofi plate to cause accurate registry of the openings 3 and 8 or thecomplete non-registry thereof.

The upper surface of the cut-off plate is provided with guide ribs I2which may be integrally struck from the cut-off plate, which guide ribsare parallel to a diametric line through the opening 8 passing throughthe pivot 6. The ribs are spaced apart a distance exceeding the diameterof the opening 8 and extend from a point adjacent one edge of thecut-off plate toward but short of a diametric line passing through thepivot 6 at right angles to the ribs.

in advance of the ribs and in line therewith, the cut-off plate isprovided on each side of the opening 8 with spaced spring lips it, theselips being disposed in spaced relation and preferably in pairs on eachside of the opening 8. Beyond the lips i3 remote from the ribs l2 andinwardly thereof, the cut-oil plate is provided with slight projectionsl4 serving as a temporary locking means for the receiver, as will laterappear.

The receiver comprises a cylindrical cup-shaped body #5, the open edgeof which is provided with a lateral marginal flange l6 extending in alldirections beyond the body. Two opposing edges ll of this flange areparallel while the remaining edges it are curved in accordance with thecurvature of the marginal edge of the cut-oii plate.

The distance between the parallel edges I! of the flange I6 correspondsaccurately to the distance between the guide ribs 22 and the diameter ofthe open end of the receiver body l5 corresponds to the diameter of theopenings 3 and 8 in the can end wall 2 and cut-off plate 5.

The flange i6 is provided at appropriate points with depressions i9which, when the receiver is in operative position, are designed toengage the projections M which, under the influence oi the spring lipsis, temporarily secure the receiver in accurate registry with theopening 8 in the cut oii plate 5. As the edges E8 of the flange iii arecurved, it is of course, apparent that the receiver may be placed inposition with either of said edges in advanw and in order to provide forthe tempo rary locking, there are pairs of depressions l 9 adjacent eachcurved edge l8 of the flange.

A division member is mounted within the receiver including a diametricplate 2!, the length of which corresponds to the diameter of the body ofthe receiver and the depth of which is commensurate with the similardimension of the body. The division member includes an additional plate28 extending from the center and at right angles from the plate 2i inone direction only. This division member is mounted upon a pin 22rotatably supported in the closed bottom of the receiver, to which pinan operating handle 2.3 is secured in order that the division member maybe rotated at will to insure against sticking of the contents of suchreceiver when dispensing the entire contents of the receiver is desired.

Through the form of the division member, it is apparent that the plate 2i divides the receiver into two equal parts, so that the unobstructedside of said plate provides for the delivery of one-half of the contentsof the receiver. The other plate 29 divides the receiver on the oppositeportion of the plate 2! into halves or into one-quarter of the fullcontents of the receiver. Thus, if the receiver is designed, forexample, to contain 2. volume equal to the contents of a teaspoon, thedivision member divides this volume into one-half of a teaspoonful orinto two quarters of a teaspoonful.

Thus, by covering those portions of the receiver within the lines of thedivision plate which are not desired for dispensing at the moment, theremaining portion not covered will be delivered.

'This can be readily accomplished by covering the vsuming this to be thefull measure of the contents of the receiver, a half teaspoonful, or aquarter teaspoonful.

The receiver is positioned between the guide ribs [2 which, as stated,accurately receive the straight edges I 1 of the receiver, and thereceiver is moved toward the opening 8 of the cut-off plate beneath thespring lips l3 and until registry is had between the projections I4 andrecesses l9. The cut-off plate, assumed to be in position with itsopening 8 out of registry with the opening 3, is then turned until theappropriate projections on the cut-off plate and can edge interruptfurther movement. In this position, the opening 3 in the can end wall 2,the opening 8 in the cut-off plate 5 and the open end of the receiverare in registry. The can is inverted, delivering its contents into thereceiver in sufl'icient volume to fill the receiver. The cut-off plateand receiver are then rotated to the limit of the remaining stops,whereupon the opening 8 in the cut-off plate 5 is moved wholly beyondregistry with the opening 3 in the can end wall 2 and the latter openingis complete 1y closed by the cut-off plate. The receiver is then removedfrom its operative position and its contents dispensed as desired.

The improved construction provides an extremely simple and effectivemeans for dispensing a predetermined volume from a bulk charge and ofselecting a definite portion of such predetermined volume at will. Theprovision of the guiding means, spring lips and interlocking features ofthe cut-01f plate and receiver provide against any possibility of thereceiver being out of position to accurately register with the opening,for with the receiver placed between the ribs i2 and moved toward theopening 8 to the limit permitted, accurate and absolute registry fordispensing purposes is insured.

No restriction is intended by the reference herein to a can or to apredetermined limit of the 5 volume of the receiver, it being understoodthat the bulk container may be of any material and in any form, so longas the requisites described are present and the receiver may be designedfor any predetermined volume, as will be obvious. 10

What is claimed to be new is:

1. A dispensing unit including a bulk receiver having an end wall formedwith an opening, a cut-01f plate rotatably supported on the end wall andhaving an opening to be moved into registry with the end wall, guideribs formed on the cutoff plate, spring lips carried by the cut-offplate immediately beyond the opening therein, and a receiver body havinga flange of a width to accurately fit between the guide ribs and slidebeneath the spring lips.

2. A dispensing unit including a bulk receiver having an end wall formedwith an opening, a cut-off plate rotatably supported on the end wall andhaving an opening to be moved into registry with the end wall, guideribs formed on the cutoff plate, spring lips carried by the cut-ofiplate immediately beyond the opening therein, a receiver body having aflange of a width to accurately fit between the guide ribs and slidebeneath the spring lips, and cooperating means on the receiver andcut-ofi plate to interlock the receiver and cut-ofi plate inpredetermined registry with the opening in the cut-off plate againstcasual movement of the receiver.

3. A dispensing unit including a bulk receiver having an end wall formedwith an opening, a cut-off plate rotatably supported on the end wall andhaving an opening to be moved into registry with the end wall, guideribs formed on the cutoff plate, spring lips carried by the cut-offplate immediately beyond the opening therein, and a receiver body havinga flange of a width to accurately fit between the guide ribs and slidebeneath the spring lips, the edges of the cut-ofi" plate being laterallydeflected to seat in an annular channel formed in the end wall, wherebyto prevent the escape of material finding its way between the end walland cut-off plate.

i. A dispensing unit including a bulk receiver having an end wall formedwith an opening, a cut-off plate rotatably supported on the end wall andhaving an opening to be moved into registry with the end wall, guideribs formed on the cut-off plate, spring lips carried by the cut-offplate immediately beyond the opening therein, a receiver body having aflange of a width to accurately fit between the guide ribs and slidebeneath the spring lips, and cooperating limiting stops on the bulkcontainer and cut-off plate to limit movement of the cut-off plate inone direction to a position to accurately register the openings in theend wall of the container and cutoff plate or to a position where suchopenings are completely out of registry. 5

5. A dispensing unit including a bulk receiver having an end wall formedwith an opening, a cut-off plate rotatably supported on the end wall andhaving an opening to be moved into registry with the end wall, guideribs formed on the cutoff plate, spring lips carried by the cut-oilplate immediately beyond the opening therein, a receiver body having aflange of a width to accurately fit between the guide ribs and slidebeneath the spring lips, and a division plate in the receiver fordividing the volume of the receiver into predetermined divisions.

6. A dispensing unit including a bulk receiver having an end wall formedwith an opening, a cut-oil plate rotatably supported on the end wall andhaving an opening to be moved into registry with the end wall, guideribs formed on the cutoiT plate, spring lips carried by the cut-01fplate immediately beyond the opening therein, a, receiver body having aflange of a width to accurately fit between the guide ribs and slidebeneath the spring lips, and a division plate in the receiver fordividing the volume of the receiver into predetermined divisions, saiddivision plate being freely rotatable to serve as a scraper.

THEODORE BAILEY. [L. s.]

